


Realized Gain

by trollmela



Series: The heroic relationship of Batman and Iron Man [3]
Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-16 17:38:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8111377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trollmela/pseuds/trollmela
Summary: It takes an alien invasion to seal the deal. Two days after the Avengers' debut and a cut-off phone conversation, Bruce was crouching in a partially destroyed Art Deco building and barely managed to prevent a proposal in the middle of dust and dirt with Captain America listening on his side.





	

“Nice work,” Bruce said, nodding towards the perfect, body-shaped indentation in the floor.

Tony smiled, and he didn’t bother hiding how tired he felt even two days later.

“I’m thinking of filling it up with glass. Saving it for posterity.”

If Bruce had an opinion on that, Tony didn’t hear it because he was finally in front of Bruce and wasted no time in hugging him hard. For a moment, his breathing hitched – and look, Tony wasn’t emotional; a lot of people would tell you that he was the polar opposite of emotional. Or at least emotionally dysfunctional. But, after averting an alien invasion and nearly dying, you could cut him a damn break!

Bruce, thankfully, didn’t hold it against him, only wrapped his arms around him and took a deep breath of the sweat, dirt and oil in his unwashed hair. And possibly alien blood or other unmentionable substances. Over the messy strands, Bruce caught sight of another arrival who had entered behind Tony and so far gone unnoticed by him. Even Batman had other priorities from time to time. The other man, dark-haired, middle-aged and wearing glasses, nodded at him briefly before going to the kitchen. Introductions could clearly wait.

Bruce kept his arms safely around Tony, feeling his lover’s chest rise and fall against his until he could finally relax. Tony was here; he was alive.

 

Flying into New York had been surprisingly easy. He supposed that the city was unfortunately too used to major catastrophes and too big to stand still for long.

Getting to Stark Tower, which stood at the heart of the chaos and destruction, had been harder. But there were advantages to being famous and famously in a relationship with Tony Stark. Bruce had been waved through at various check points and barriers, occasionally with best wishes for his boyfriend conveyed by people who usually hadn’t learned to stop grimacing when confronted by a gay man.

Wayne Foundation had already raised a significant sum of money to help the city and its people, matching the figure of the Maria Stark foundation to the last digit in one of those symbolic or, if you will, romantic gestures of unity which Bruce and Tony had become known for and which the gossip magazines jumped on all too readily. Now that he had arrived in New York, Bruce Wayne was even getting his hands dirty personally, at times directly alongside his lover and the other Avengers. While Tony’s suit made him capable of very specific tasks, Bruce had his own talents, abseiling, agility, and a way of getting into places others couldn’t (or wouldn’t) being only some of those that came in handy.

“About that phone call-“ Tony spoke up as he hovered over Bruce’s right shoulder.

“Is now really the right time?” Bruce asked. If Tony got distracted, Bruce would most assuredly be turned into an unattractive smear of tissue and bone under nearly a ton of concrete and steel.

“I don’t know. ... Can I call a friend?”

“You mean Pepper.”

“Need any help there fellas?”

Bruce was too busy trying to unblock pieces of an Art Deco building to look. Tony’s “Captain” tinged with a, for Tony, unusual amount of respect, tipped him off.

Then Steve Rogers’ biceps entered his field of vision, preceded naturally by his hands, but sue him for noting other assets foremost. The man succeeded within seconds in making him look like a child and pulled the jammed remains of a steel support out that Bruce had been working on for a while now.

Bruce gave him a nod. “Thanks!”

They had more work ahead of them.

_“Bruce?”_

_“Tony, what are you doing?” It was a near thing that Bruce’s voice didn’t crack._

_“So, you know how I told you to not work Thursday through Sunday? I had this thing planned... I was gonna take you to Paris. It’s clichéd, I know, but it seemed like the right thing to do. I had a restaurant all picked out-“_

_On the screen, Tony was flying ever closer to the hole in the sky. Any moment now and he’d fly through it and **he wasn’t letting go of whatever he was carrying and what the hell was it anyway-**_

_“I’m sorry, I don’t think I’ll make it on Thursday. I love you Bruce, I made a-“_

_“Tony!”_

_“It’s in the workshop-“ Tony interrupted him. “Desk drawer. You’ll know-“_

_“Tony! Tony, I love you, listen to me-”_

_The call was cut off._

“So, as I was saying-“

“Tony,” Bruce interrupted him again. “Can we please not do this while you’re keeping a ton of concrete off my and Captain America’s head?”

“Steve,” the blonde said.

“Bruce, nice to meet you,” Bruce answered, not because he didn’t think Steve already knew who he was but because he had been raised with manners unlike some other people he could name.

Bruce winced internally, because the following pause was pregnant with hurt.

“I’m not going to drop it if you say no,” Tony replied, and at least he was using their personal coms so Captain America –– Steve – only got Bruce’s side of the conversation.

“I should have known it’s too early-“ Tony kept talking. “You know how there are absolutely no reliable statistics on when to pop the question? I did a lot of research-“

Bruce sighed. He really had to deal with this now. “Tony, I’m not going to say no.” Bruce even put a finger to his earpiece to make sure it caught his words in full, crouching in the rubble a few inches away from where Steve was continuing to work. Now that they were inside the building, he was no longer within Tony’s sight.

Another pause followed on Tony’s end.

“You’re not?” He asked. His voice sounded a bit thin, but that could be the transmission.

Bruce briefly closed his eyes and ignored Steve’s occasional sideways look. There was no doubt that he loved Tony, really, he did, but sometimes he drove Bruce crazy. Unfortunately, interpersonal communication skills was a frequent weakness, and perhaps Bruce didn’t have the right to throw stones.

“No. But Tony, I want you to actually ask first. You haven’t actually gotten around to it.”

“The call didn’t count?”

“Not really.”

He could hear Tony take in a deep breath.

“Tonight,” Bruce interrupted him again. “At the tower. I want a burger, a good burger. No flights to Paris. And then you can pop the question. And show me the ring you made.”

Tony released the big breath. “Okay. Tonight. Seven?”

“Seven. Or whenever we’re done here.”

“We usually don’t get done before nine at least.”

“Guess we’ll have to delay dinner then.” Bruce couldn’t help grinning like a fool. If Steve looked at all confused, he really didn’t notice.

* * *

The ring was solid matte black, wide on his finger but thin against his skin. It looked durable, able to withstand anything without a scratch. It was plain on the outside, unadorned by any eye-catching gems, just the way Tony knew Bruce would like. Bruce didn’t even comment on the color, which Tony took to mean that he liked it and that his lover didn’t worry that it would be too obvious. Although perhaps unusual for an engagement ring, it could be seen as fashionable and nobody but they would know that it was a nod to Bruce’s alternate identity, which had shaped him like Iron Man had shaped Tony. Consequently, it was only right that the inside of the ring was decorated with two thin bands in gold and red.

“So, as I said, I don’t want you to feel that it’s too early-“ Tony spoke up.

“But you need the money?” Bruce joked.

“Exactly.” Tony faked a sigh of relief. “Do you have any idea what the damages here are?” He waved a hand around them. They had taped up the window earlier, because of course Tony would forget about a broken window he had apparently been thrown out of.

Bruce leaned over to kiss him, soft and tender the way they didn’t get much in the other aspects of their lives, but the kiss didn’t stay that way for long. Tony reacted like a man starving for water; it had been too long. Even with Batman currently retired, Bruce hadn’t spent nearly enough time in New York or Malibu — or wherever Tony was.

“I think we’re both men who know what they want,” Bruce pointed out after breaking the kiss. “And we don’t have to set the date right away.”

Tony nodded against his forehead, then pulled back to look at him and said:

“I love you, and I really wanted to do this; give you a ring.”

“I love you, too.” And after a pause, he added: “We have our companies to think of. Lots of formalities.”

Tony groaned. “Don’t start.”

“Did you tell Pepper?”

“Nobody. You’re the first.”

Bruce should probably feel flattered, but instead he felt sad because the only reason Tony wouldn’t have proudly shown off the ring was if he’d had doubts that Bruce would say yes. Tony was perfectly fine with making a fool of himself where it didn’t matter; but not when his heart was involved.

“I’d suggest telling her, Rhodey and Alfred before the press gets wind.”

“Were you planning a press conference?”

“No, but if I’m going to be wearing this and then shopping for a ring for you someone is eventually going to notice. Unfortunately I’m not as talented in jewelry making as you.”

“Hm, what do you think, Gawker or TMZ first?”

Bruce thoughtfully tilted his head at him. “My money is on TMZ. Ten thousand for your foundation if it’s the Gawker.”

“It’s a bet.”

They sealed it with a kiss, and a lot more after that.

**Author's Note:**

> Title found by starkind (and thank god for that) with the reasoning that Tony doesn’t realize what he stands to gain with Bruce until he is in danger. 
> 
> Besides the title, starkind also cheered me on with wonderful conversations and was primarily responsible for this proposal fic. So, starkind, this is yours :)


End file.
